KDE has released the second beta of Plasma 6.6, versioned 6.5.91, continuing the stabilization phase ahead of the final stable release scheduled for February 17.
As I informed you earlier, one of the most striking new additions to the Plasma 6.6 cycle is the introduction of three new core modules, and more specifically:
- plasma-login-manager: a replacement for the SDDM display manager.
- plasma-keyboard: introducing a new virtual keyboard implementation.
- plasma-setup: a wizard designed for out-of-the-box and OEM system initialization.
In this second beta, KWin, KDE’s window manager, receives numerous fixes, particularly in Wayland behavior, DRM backends, input handling, and virtual desktop management, addressing edge cases related to window initialization, pointer constraints, screen configuration, accessibility, and game controller support.
Plasma Workspace and Plasma Desktop components also see continued refinement. Notifications, panels, system tray behavior, Kickoff, Kicker, Task Manager, and lock screen handling have all been adjusted to improve visual consistency and reliability.
Several fixes target long-standing layout issues and interaction bugs encountered during everyday use.
On the system utilities and libraries side, Discover improves Flatpak handling and transaction state reporting, while KScreen and libkscreen deliver fixes related to HDR calibration and Wayland output management.
Plasma System Monitor continues its UI and layout improvements, and xdg-desktop-portal-kde receives extensive dialog cleanup and usability enhancements, particularly around screen sharing and device access.
Mobile and auxiliary components are included as well. Plasma Mobile addresses lock screen authentication and UI sizing issues, while Plasma NetworkManager, Spectacle, print-manager, and Plasma Browser Integration receive targeted fixes. Browser integration notably adds support for Waterfox in this beta.
For more information, see the announcement or visit the full changelog.
So, what’s next? This was the second and final beta before the final stable release scheduled for February 17. In the meantime, anyone eager to explore everything new in the upcoming Plasma 6.6 desktop environment can do so via the KDE Neon Testing Edition.
